A Bright Tomorrow
by Failurondelivry
Summary: Takes place after the school dance, and Patrick is doing his best to get back in Kat's good graces, while Kat is doing her best to figure out Patrick's motives for wanting to be in her good graces. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

So I'd just like to say that all texting is in bold/italics, and the grammer is completely awful, but it's on purpose. Also, the band A bright tomorrow is not real (That I'm aware of), I made it up for the story. I own nothing sadly :( no copyright infringement intended. This is my very first fanfiction, and I hope you like it.

* * *

**Part 1**

Saturday morning dawns and Kat untangles herself from her sister. Could Friday night have been any worse, for both of the Stratford sisters, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and fighting the urge to groan, Kat crawled out of bed. Bianca would probably sleep for a few more hours, and her dad would already be at work, so she grabbed her robe and headed for the bathroom to shower before Bianca turned it into her own personal spa. Her mind just would not stop pondering Patrick's disappearing act the night before. Where had he gone, and why did she have to care so freaking much. Feeling like an idiot was something the loathed, but somehow that seemed to be her natural state around tall, dark, and intense.

Groaning in frustration and shaking her head, she vowed not to think of the asshole again for the rest of the day. After her shower and morning rituals, she put on her robe and went back to her room to dress for a Saturday of no homework or chores. Dressed and feeling marginally better about life in general, she grabbed her cell phone to call Mandela; only to her shock, there were a dozen missed calls and just as many text messages. Most all of them were from Patrick, and with a frustrated exclamation, she tossed her phone back on her desk. Bianca made a sleepy snuffle and rolled over, and Kat put her hands on her hips while wondering. What if something was actually wrong, what if the idiot gotten into some sort of trouble, and that's why he'd disappeared. Against her better judgment, she started reading the texts.

"_**Kat I'm srry, damnit answr ur phone." **_Well how original of him, she rolled her eyes. The next two were variations on the same theme. The fourth one astonished her, _**"Kat I got arrested, will u plz answr ur phone."**_The last text made her sigh and bite her lip, _**"Kat obviously ur pissed, listen 2 ur voicemail, really srry."**_

Patrick had apologized, and just for that, she was very near to forgiving him. Something about him made her want to give him the benefit of the doubt, mostly because it seemed as if nobody else ever did, but that was the stupid in her wanting to trust him. Voicemail was number 1 on her speed dial, so she pressed it and listened to his explanation. Sitting down on the chair by her desk after hearing what he had to say, she could barely believe it. So he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and because of it, he hadn't been able to let her know. With a slight shake of her head and a relieved grin, it really hadn't been his fault; she realized that forgiving him would be no trouble at all.

So she flipped out her phone again and began the text, _**"Im srry I didn't answer the phone, I was sleeping. Ur forgiven. R u okay?"**_ There that was short sweet and simple not at all idiotic, figuring he'd still be asleep as it was a little before 8am, she sent it off feeling calmed. When an instant reply came through a flash of surprise lit up her eyes.

"_**Im fine, A bright tomorrow is playing at Jake's tonite, wanna go, 8pm."**_

Biting her lip at his reply, she couldn't help but wonder what his deal was. Why did he have to make her so crazy, why did he have to frustrate her beyond all reason, this was stupid. It was almost as if he were asking her out, but she knew for a solid fact that he was only interested in getting her under him, and she had no intentions of going there. She wanted to scream, but figured Bianca would wake up and start pestering her. Maybe he just wanted to talk in person and get the whole dance incident out of the way, so they could be friends. With some reflective thought, that was really the only solid reason she could come up with, so she texted back,

"_**No date, but I mite show up solo. Maybe cya there." **_

His reply was slower, _**"Ur still mad."**_

She rolled her eyes at that,_** "Not mad, just no date. Dad would freak."**_ There that was reasonable and he really couldn't say anything snarky about it, after all he'd met her dad.

Later on that day Kat finally got around to telling Bianca about the band and Patrick, and Kat had to beg her not to tell dad. With a squeal and a mischievous grin she said, "You will definitely owe me one". Getting ready wasn't as nerve wracking as she had expected it to be, a fluff of her already curled hair, and a light application of make-up nothing fancy, after all she was not out to impress anyone. A cute outfit of comfortable jeans and a rocker t-shirt, and she considered herself ready to go. Dad, amazingly enough, didn't give her too much flack, and she made her way to the club.

Patrick texted her around 8:10, _**"u coming." **_

She texted back, _**"be there in 5min". **_

At the door of the club, she paid her way in and flirted outrageously with the bouncer, and felt marginally better about showing up at the same venue as Patrick. An open table away from the crowd, but still close enough to ogle the lead singer, was against the far wall, so she quickly snagged it. Closing her eyes, and letting the music wash over her, she conceded that as annoying as Patrick was, he had kick ass taste in music. Sandalwood assaulted her senses, and without opening her eyes, she knew it was him, which freaked her out way more than she wanted to admit. Any man could be wearing the same cologne, but on Patrick, it just smelled completely unique. He was wearing his jacket, a pair of worn jeans, and a royal blue t-shirt; the boy didn't even try hard and he was sexy. That irritated her.

"Someone still has her panties in a twist." Was his opening shot as he leaned against her table.

Kat scoffed, "Don't, for one minute, think that you have any effect whatsoever on my panties."

His next question made her scowl, "Then what do I have an effect on?"

She shrugged in a nonchalant manner, "Other than my upchuck reflex, nothing."

Patrick slapped his hand on the table, "Ooh, see that, there. Who needs affection when I have blind hatred?"

Kat rolled her eyes, she wanted to laugh and punch him in the face at the same time. Realizing the latter would get her thrown from the club, she settled for ignoring him. Shifting nervously at how close he was, she did her best to concentrate on the music, but it turned out, ignoring him was not on his agenda. Patrick snagged a strand of her hair to rub between his fingers, so she slapped his hand away. A crooked grin settled onto his mouth, and Kat had to admit, as much as she hated to, that he had a dark mysterious male presence, and despite her inner arguments, she was definitely attracted.

Patrick sighed when she held her silence and said, "So you're not talking to me now." Turning in her chair and quirking her brow at him, she pinched her lips with her fingers.

"I could take the hint and shut up, but how else am I going to find out if you forgive me," he said on a laugh.

"You're forgiven Verona, god, just sit down, shut up and listen to the music. It's the reason I came." Exasperation was clear in her tone. Patrick pulled up a chair with his foot and sat down beside her, she almost said finally, but figured it would only invite more unwanted conversation.

"Was that meant to imply it wasn't because of me," he said.

Cocky grin in place and his all male attitude set her off, so she snapped out, "If you don't shut your mouth Verona, I'm going to shut it for you."

His hands came up in surrender. "Chill with the violence Stratford, one last question and I'll sit here like a good boy, promise."

A serious weight had come into his eyes so she rolled hers. "Spit it out," she snapped.

His hand came to rest on the back of her chair, and he leaned his body into her personal space. In a barely audible whisper, his lips brushing against her ear, he said, "Will you go out with me tomorrow night?"

Kat jerked in surprise, and frowned, what the hell was He trying to play. His motives were so unclear to her that she couldn't help but shake her head in denial. "Patrick just shut up." His eyes took on a hard edge and his lips thinned out into a frown, but he nodded accepting that this wasn't the time or place, and said later against her cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks guys for reading and reviewing :D, I've got the next chapter after this one written, I just have to edit it. Hope you all enjoy, and I'm open to suggestions so feel free to put your two cents in.

Part 2

Sitting in the dark with Patrick Verona was everything she imagined it would be. Spicy sandalwood scent, intense golden brown eyes, moments of shivery awareness and apprehension, all of this, added to angsty music with a teenage boy she was highly attracted to. Kat had to admit, that the side of her that was more like Bianca than she wanted to acknowledge, was doing a little happy dance. He sat there, quietly listening to the music tapping along with the beat on the table before them, the lack of conversation seemingly not bothering him, and it was fantastic.

Giving herself a mental slap, she had to ask herself what was going on, why was she here, what purpose did this serve other than to set her up for future chances of looking like a fool? Patrick was not interested in her other than as an easy lay, which she would never be again, for anyone. Shattered hearts lay at his feet in droves, a bit melodramatic, but realistically speaking, that was the only thing that would develop from sitting in the dark with the bad boy of Padua High.

The band finished their set, much too quickly in her opinion, Patrick turned to her, "Let's get out of here."

Humor flashed, and she smirked, "I've heard that one before."

He laughed, "Yeah well I'm not taking a leak first."

She shrugged, "I'm not one for self mitigated torture, I think I'll pass."

"Come on there's a full moon, and it feels great outside, let's take a ride on my bike." His voice, husky and cajoling, had Kat closing her eyes in resentful capitulation. Disagreeing with that voice was the last thing she could bring herself to do. Even though it was a horrible idea, she said, "Sure lets go." Her mind was awash with the absurdity of walking out of a club with the town bad boy, flashes of her old life, an old life she did not want to dwell upon, kept rising to the forefront.

They walked outside together, much to Kat's shock it seemed as if she were settling down in his company. Nerves were still present of course, but they had taken a back seat and were no longer controlling her movements. The need to lash out, was being tempered by having sat in a dark room with him for half an hour without attacking him, which made her feel less idiotic. This was not going to be a repeat of her Freshman year she vowed, snapping her mental barriers in place; she cleared her throat when they reached his bike.

Patrick looked at her in question, and with a shrug she said. "Ground rules Verona."

His expression of confusion was adorable, and she wanted to smack her forehead maybe if she was blind he wouldn't affect her this much. Oh wait, no that wouldn't work because then she'd just salivate at his irresistible smell. "Come on you can't for one second think that I'd be dumb enough to go off to the middle of nowhere with you. There will be no groping, kissing, tricksy stuff, or manipulating of any kind." She punctuated each of her points with a jab of her finger in his chest. His convoluted actions up to this point were making her overly cautious.

Patrick shook his head and then suddenly rolled his eyes, "Does everything have to be a fight with you, not that I don't enjoy the arguments sometimes, but Christ. Can't I just want to take a ride no hidden agendas?" He rubbed his hands down his face in a show of frustration.

"Boys are all about hidden agendas, and as far as the arguing it's who I am either deal or don't. To be honest Patrick I keep waiting for you to throw your hands up and walk away, but you're still here, and I don't entirely understand why. I don't understand any of this."

Blunt speak was her stock and trade, and boy was she delivering tonight. Patrick thought it might be time for her to experience a little bluntness from him. "Fine, this is what's going on. I intend to enjoy the weather, the moon, and the night while riding on my bike. I would like you along to enjoy it as well. Nothing more. Nothing less. When we get to where we're going I would like to talk, explain some things about last night, and then I'd like to ask you out again. Is that clear efuckingnough for you?"

With that, he put his helmet on, shoved another one at her, and started the motorcycle. Kat took a deep breath and lifted his helmet just enough to expose his lips, and then she kissed him. It was a light brush of her lips on his, nothing steamy, just a thank you for being straight with her. Then she shoved his helmet back on before he could say or do anything, and said "I know I'm a pain Verona, so let's get going while we're both still breathing."

The helmet was a little too big, but it was the last thing on her mind as Kat climbed on behind Patrick and gripped her seat instead of him, hoping by the end of the night things would make more sense. He let that slide for the first five minutes of the ride, but then sped up, and Kat felt perilously close to falling, so her arms quickly came around Patrick's waist. Then she figured what the hell, and threw all caution to the wind by snuggling up close to his back. A good slap would do her some good, but relaxing into the ride felt better than fighting him. It wasn't as if Patrick could see her face, and it wasn't as if he knew what she was thinking.

Patrick knew Kat's mind must have been running a mile a minute; the situation would in no way suck her completely under, though he hoped the girl in her was appreciating the full moon and the balmy spring night. However, he knew the fighter in her was just waiting to tense her muscles and throw a well-aimed punch to his face. So, keeping it casual was his intent for the time being, damn but she was demanding.

A relationship was definitely in his plans, but Kat was tricky and wouldn't be easy. Thank God. Really, he needed to get them on the same page. He had to have her, and it wasn't even just the sex. Shocker, it had nearly blown his mind, he wanted to lie under the damned stars and ask her what her favorite color was. Stupid dopey shit kept popping into his head to make her smile. He still wanted to flip the world off, but he wanted her with him when it happened. The misunderstood bad boy loner was looking to make them a misunderstood troublemaking duo, it sounded perfect to him.

The ride was a little less than twenty minutes, and Kat had to hand it to Patrick, the night was absolutely perfect for a bike ride. It had been a little over a year since her last motorcycle ride, and the memories weren't killing her, much to her surprise. Her focus was entirely on Patrick, not the murky and painful past. Patrick took a corner just a little too fast, and she couldn't help her surprised gasp and her clutching fingers. It looked like they'd finally come to their destination, when Patrick came to a stop. All Kat could see were trees, they formed a line in front of her, and the road they'd come in on just disappeared.

"Where are we?" Kat asked as soon as her helmet came off.

Patrick grinned, "I like to fish, I come out here on the weekends sometimes, there's a pond through the trees."

"Is it private property?"

"Nah, its okay that we're here I promise, no trespassing or anything."

"Okay so what are we doing here exactly?" She put a great deal of emphasis on the word exactly.

"Well that's easy come with me; you can climb a rope ladder right?" He didn't have that tone, the one boys get when they're being insufferable, he sounded genuinely worried.

"Heights don't bother me, if that's what you're wondering." She said amicably, and heard his quick sigh of relief.

Proud of herself for not picking a fight over his statement, she smiled, and followed Patrick to an oak tree that had a rope style ladder hanging from its branches. The ladder looked brand new which seemed odd to her, she followed him up to the top though. When she got off the ladder and realized there was a tree house at the top of the oak tree she nearly laughed, it was hidden almost completely when standing on the ground. Patrick was already on the other side of the tree house apparently to impatient to wait on her to look around, so she went over to him and said, "Seriously Patrick what are we doing here?"

His finger covered her mouth, and he said, "Sshh, just look." Using his finger to Point out of the tree house window and across the lake, Kat turned her head and sucked in her breath. Fireflies covered the bank of the lake, and it looked like a page straight out of a fariy tale. The willow trees surrounding the lake, and the full moon only added to the surreal beauty of the night.

"It's absolutely gorgeous Patrick." She said in awe.

"I know this happens every spring when it's rained for a few days. Actually, this is one of the few places the fireflies actually glow; I figured you might like it."

"Thank you so much this is completely amazing." She looked up at him, and was struck by just how incredibly gorgeous he looked under the light of the moon. "So what happened?" She blurted out, to alter the course of her thoughts.

His shoulder propped against the window frame, he turned back to the lake, and said, "You know the gist, I didn't have anything to do with it and the guy that was doing it vouched for me, and I guess that's it, all charges dropped. I just wanted you to hear me say it to your face, I don't do drugs."

"Yeah I think I know that much about you, but thanks for being upfront with me," she said softly. Kat was doing her best to be mature, and thought she was doing a pretty good job of it.

"I know you said I'm forgiven and everything, but I don't really think you know what that stupid damned dance meant for me. I'm not the school dances kinda guy if you haven't figured that out yet, in fact I'm the furthest thing from it." He said incredulously, and then shoved his fingers through his hair. He leaned further out the window seemingly inspecting the scene closer, his hands rested on the windowsill. He shook his head then looked up at her, his golden eyes gleaming, his wicked grin flashing, and said, "Seeing you in a dress was one hundred percent worth it though, which means I think I've got it pretty damned bad."

* * *

I thought I'd add a little trivia, if you live west of Kansas you generally don't have the flashing fireflies. There have been a few rare instances of luminous fireflies, but not many. :) I thought such a sighting in California would be the perfect setting for two young teenagers to fall in love. ~sigh~


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

"What do you mean you think you've got it bad?" Kat imitated his adorably confused expression from earlier.

"Come on Stratford, you know exactly what it means?"

"No Verona I don't otherwise I wouldn't be asking you."

"Jesus, you make everything so damned difficult, why is it so hard to just tell you that I like you?" He'd turned his face up to the heavens wondering if god had the answer, because he sure as hell didn't.

His head whips around to look at her as she takes his hand in hers, with the softest smile he'd ever seen on her face. "So that's what this is all about, bringing me out here, showing me the prettiest night I've ever seen."

"Christ, I feel like I'm in junior high. This feels so stupid." Embarrassment was clear on his warm cheeks, and she wanted to laugh. He wasn't just messing with her, honestly, she'd begun to suspect that on the ride here, but hearing him confirm it made her a little light headed.

"No it feels just about perfect. Verona how is it exactly that you know precisely what to say and do. I find it extremely annoying that you make me want to kiss you." She said frustration clear in her tone.

"Thank god." Relieved he pulled her to him in an attempt to kiss her, but Kat jerked away with a snap, Patrick couldn't help the cocky grin, "Scaredy Kat."

"That was not an invitation." Kat rolled her eyes and put her hand on her mouth, Patrick Verona made her knees weak and she wasn't happy about it. "Are we being completely honest here?" She asked forcefully needing to get control of the situation and her emotions. Patrick nodded so she continued, "Fine then, I want to know why you were blowing hot and cold for the past couple of months. What was that about on the roof at the fire, and why did you take me to the dance. I need some answers, I'm being pushy, but I do not do well with shady underhanded shit, so if you just want in my pants it ends here and now." Kat was a little winded when she was done with her demands, but damnit she had to know. They'd had a similar conversation on the roof after the mind blowing first kiss, but she'd stomped away in fury before letting him explain, she was standing her ground this time.

"I'm much better with the physical expression of what I feel Kat, I'm not gonna lie. I want you a lot, and that makes me a hell of a lot clumsier than I usually am I guess." He ran his hands through his hair with a sigh, "The past couple of months I've been just as pissed and frustrated as you were. Wanting and having other girls has never been this difficult for me. With you, it's so completely unique; I feel like I don't know what I'm doing half the time. Honestly, I can't stay away from you, we tried that and it pissed me off." He ended on a wry note.

Kat wrapped her arms around her stomach, and her face took on a thoughtful expression. "I like the side of you that's unsure Patrick, almost as much as I like your arrogance, because it matches the same in me. You make me nervous which you already know, and that's something that I'm extremely uncomfortable with, in fact it makes me unbelieveably angry."

A little confused, he asks, "At me?"

"No no no, it's more like the unsurity of it all leads to the nervousness, which then leads to the angry at being nervous, and then just angry at myself for being so much of a twit. You make me feel like an idiot for feeling the things I feel, because I can't control it. I don't like being out of control."

Patrick nodded in complete understanding, "I know exactly what you mean, but I think if we just move slow we'll have the time to figure it all out." Feeling the need to touch her he put his hand on the back of her neck and drew her into his arms. She came willingly enough, and he started massaging her neck with one hand and stroking her back with his other. "While we were riding up here I had a thought, you interested?"

"Sure go ahead." She whispered, his hands were making her crazy, but for once, she had no desire to move away.

"I had a thought that you are the only person I've ever wanted to bring out here, lay in the grass and ask what your favorite color is. I don't think shit like this. Never have and it's making me nuts, I want to do dopey ass stuff for you, and you're the type to take advantage of that, because you're a lot like me and I'd sure as hell take advantage. But, I'm not going to be Cameron, I refuse to allow you to turn me into a marshmallow. So with that said, I'd like to give dating you a try. If you, ya know feel the same or whatever."

"Just when I think you might be a poet." She grins in exasperation.

"It's called charm Stratford, something you know nothing of." He tugged the ends of her hair, and she pinched his side lightly.

"Seriously, you want to date me." Surprise laced her voice.

"Well yeah, you don't think I'd go to all this trouble just to get in your pants do you?" He asked with a laugh.

"Guys will do anything to get in a girls pants, the question is Verona would you go to all this trouble if you were serious about dating me?" Kat snapped.

Patrick rolled his eyes and gently grabbed her face in his hands so he could look into her dark brown eyes, hoping the sincerity in his would make her understand. "I'm serious, more serious than I've ever been before, got it." He never raised his voice he didn't have to.

Kat knew she was in trouble, big trouble. Patrick wasn't playing around, and she was afraid she wasn't either. Bianca was going to be over the moon, her father was going to….her father holy crap. "Verona there'll be some rules if this is what you really want."

"I really want, so hit me with your best shot Stratford, we'll see if I'm still standing when it's over." He grinned, for some reason he relished a good challenge, had to of gotten it from his mom. His arms had slipped back down to her waist, and he pulled her a little closer, letting his chin rest on top of her head.

"You've met my dad; I don't think I have to tell you he's going to blow a gasket." She said into his chest.

"Nah I could tell, he hates my guts, but I've got charm he'll come around." He mumbled against her hair.

"Yeah he does, and not as much as you think you do." She takes a deep breath preparing herself, "are you ready for the list." Her arms had come around him at some point, and she found herself gripping his shirt for comfort.

"Go ahead, I knew there'd be something along these lines, you like your rules." Rolling his eyes, he shifted his position and cuddled her closer.

She sighed and began, "Yeah well we know each other so well I guess. So first stipulation is no cheating, I don't care if you think you love me or if you hate me, while we are dating you won't be with anyone else and neither will I. Second stipulation, is that at no time will you ever…and I do mean ever…try to push things to a level I don't want to go, and third and final stipulation you have to tell me if it's not going well because I can't read your mind and you can't read mine. So just promise me that you'll talk to me before it all blows up in our faces, because when all is said and done Patrick I don't hate you, and I don't want to." She finished in a rush and waited for his response. Her dating experience was not extensive, but she knew for a fact that this was not a typical beginning of the relationship conversation. Saying everything out-loud and in such a concise manner made her feel at once really great for being honest, and horrified that he wouldn't agree.

"So no cheating, no sex til your ready, and communication is key…got it." He ticked off her points succinctly.

"Christ it's creepy how much you just reminded me of my dad. Don't do that again." She shuddered.

"Damn speaking of your dad we'd better get you back to your car, don't wanna break your curfew or your dad will kill me. We should really start this off on the right foot. Oh and about that last rule, I don't want to hate you either Kat."

"Dad doesn't know I'm with you." Kat frowned, she kind of wanted Patrick to kiss her, but then she kind of didn't. If he did, it would kind of seal the deal a bit, but if he didn't then maybe he didn't really want to, and he was just feeding her a line of crap. Maybe tomorrow he'd be back to the whole, "I don't have to be your prince charming" bit. The insecurity was building out of nowhere and she couldn't seem to stop it, she was starting to feel foolish again, but surprisingly Patrick shook her out of her mental musings and made her laugh.

"So you're saying that you came with me tonight knowing that I could be a cannibal and you didn't tell your dad? Bet he never dreamed it wasn't pregnancy he'd have to worry about, but whether or not you came back with all your body parts attached." Patrick said with a grin.

"Haha very funny Verona, you're not getting anywhere near my body parts with your teeth." She countered.

"That's what you think." He snatched her wrist from the tree branch she'd had it resting on and then gently nipped the skin on the back of her hand. Jerking her hand back with a surprise laugh, she attempted to hit him, but he caught her fist. "Watch it Stratford I might file assault charges."

"You'd be too embarrassed; your bad boy reputation would crumble around your ears if anyone found out, besides you bit me." She said with exasperation.

"Hmm you're probably right, come here." He pulled her back to the window, "one last look before we go." Putting one arm around her shoulders, and his other around her waist, he figured kissing her would be a bad idea, and fireflies and moonlight were safer. He very much wanted Kat to take him seriously, and kissing her might be pushing it, so if he couldn't kiss her, he could at least hold her. Kat smelled better than any woman he'd ever been around, it was like some kind of fruit and spice, and it made him want to bury his face in her hair and just breathe. Sending her flying down the ladder was not one of his goals for the evening, so he settled for the light embrace, controlling his baser urges with sheer stubbornness.

She sighed, "It really is the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Patrick's embrace seemed to have put her earlier fears to rest. Being so insecure wasn't something she enjoyed, and she tried very hard to push all of her negative thoughts to the back, it was just hard because he really was almost too good to be true. Expecting the worst came naturally to her, and Patrick had the potential to send her into therapy. They were becoming friends, and that was a major plus, hopefully she could get over her past and not hold it against him so much. Sad thing was he didn't even know most of her gut reactions, didn't have anything to do with him. With a mental shake of her head, she decided she'd just have to make her inside confidence match her outside bravado. It would definitely take some work, but she was Kat freaking Stratford. Grinning with her new found purpose she linked her fingers with Patrick's, liking the forward direction of her thoughts very much.

Patrick sighed, "Really we need to be getting back, unless you don't mind getting home late." His tone had turned hopeful.

"Yeah right, then I'd be grounded for eternity, and you could give up the idea of ever dating me." They broke their embrace; each of them disappointed both of them afraid to show just how much. Their new status and feelings were so new and unfamiliar.

They climbed down from the tree house and got back on his bike, this time she put her arms around him right when he started the bike. He got her back to her car on time and she handed him her helmet. "I had an amazing time Patrick, thanks." She said almost reluctantly.

"What was that did I hear a compliment?"

"Shut up. You obviously aren't a complete heathen."

"Oh my god was that two."

"I'm leaving."

"Wait, so as my girlfriend and god I really do feel like I'm in junior high, but anyway, as my girlfriend you have to meet the family, so be prepared for the um craziness."

"Was that what you were asking me at the show, the whole take me out tomorrow night thing?" Kat asked.

"Well yeah, I mean I've met your dad, though I think he's going to want to meet me again when you tell him we're actually dating," said Patrick.

"Yeah you're right, so dinner with your family on Sunday and dinner with my dad on Monday. Is that cool," Kat asked.

"Completely, Stratford we might just make it after all," Patrick said cheerfully.

"I was just thinking that once you get passed the weirdness of it. The idea of us as a couple is actually pretty brilliant. We both want to flip the world off, but now we can do it together." Kat said with a grin.

He had to, she had just mirrored perfectly what he had thought earlier and resisting was not an option, so he pulled her into his arms. Crushing her body up against his he took her mouth, hungrily. Her soft lips moved under his and she opened her mouth, helpless to resist he deepened the embrace. Placing his hands on her waist and tilting his head, he nipped her lower lip. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled her mouth from his with a groan, squeezing his neck to make up for the loss of his lips. He nipped her bottom lip again, and gave her a firm kiss on her ravaged lips.

"You turn me into a complete imbecile." He said in his deep husky voice, his mouth still hovering very close to hers.

She sighed against his mouth tilted her head back a little, and looked at him, "what was that for."

"Being you, being perfect, saying the same thing I thought over two hours ago, everything and nothing."

She kissed him softly and pulled back, "I liked it, and I like you."

Brushing his mouth against her cheek lightly, he said with a sincere smile, "Even if I wasn't so insanely attracted to you Kat I'd like to think we'd still be friends."

"I hesitate to say this, but I think you could be right, however that doesn't mean you're completely safe from the pepper spray and stun gun."

He chuckled, "Fair enough Stratford, I'll call you in a few hours, be prepared to describe what you're not wearing." She giggled and got into her car. She made it home with ten minutes to spare and got ready for bed, fending off all of Bianca's endless questions to the best of her ability, and waiting for a phone call from Mr. Not-so-but-maybe-could-be-Prince-Charming.


	4. Chapter 4

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their reviews, you guys are great. Homework is catching up with me so I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update, but it should go quicker after this week. Oh and I guess just as a heads up this chapter is going to have some serious OCC stuff going on, because I had to start fleshing out Patrick's home life. I suppose I should also restate that I own nothing :(,

* * *

Chapter 4

Kat made sure the music in her room was loud enough to cover the sound of her voice, before she grabbed her ringing phone. Trying to deny that she had been impatiently waiting for this moment for the past ten minutes, she quickly hit the ok button.

"Please tell me you're not wearing anything at all." He said in with fake desperation as soon as she answered.

Kat couldn't help her instant laugh. "In your dreams lover boy." And just like that, they were back on track, she had been a little nervous thinking that their newly developed relationship would make things awkward. Instead, she was realizing that she had a whole mass of new material to work with to drive him crazy.

"You have no idea." He said on a thick sigh, and then more expectantly, "so what are you wearing?" Hoping the tone of his voice would lull her into compliancy, he kept it low and even. He really should have known better.

Kat rolled her eyes and said, "Sometimes I think you think you're clever, can't imagine how you got that idea you moron." She pulled back the comforter on her bed and crawled between her sheets. Stifling a groan of pleasure at finally laying down, she snuggled into her bed with her pillow and Patrick on the phone. The lights in her room gave off a faint blue glow, and she decided this was the most relaxed she'd been all week. His next remark made her grin in delight.

"Well hell _Stratford I'm dating you, I have to be pretty damned clever." He said with surety. _

_Kat decided to humor him somewhat since he really was sharper than she'd originally given him credit for. "Whatever_, I'm wearing my favorite t-shirt, it's red and says, "Don't make me use my feminist voice." She grinned and couldn't help thinking about the frown that must be all over his face. No way was she going to describe her underwear, or her lack of clothing to Patrick Verona. For one thing, she just wasn't the type to have naughty phone conversations, and for another even if she did somehow become the type, she wouldn't know the first thing to say. Patrick could probably walk her through it, no doubt he'd done it before, but it would just be too embarrassing. And, what if they broke up tomorrow for some stupid reason or another, then she'd still have to go to school with him for a whole year. Yup, no way was he getting a striptease via phone; after all, she did have some dignity. However, that wouldn't stop her from talking to him or letting him tease her, it was kind of cute.

"And," he drew out, "come on more details." Patrick was perilously close to begging, and that made him come up short. Begging for a description of her underwear, is that really what it had come down to? Yup, it sure had. Oh, Kat would never tell him, unless he caught her off guard and she answered him absentmindedly, but that was an unlikely scenario. Kat just wasn't the type to be slutty, not that phone flirting was slutty, but she'd probably see it that way. So, he was pretty positive he wasn't going to get anywhere, but it wasn't going to stop him from trying. He pulled his pants on finally, figuring he shouldn't tell her he'd been naked for the first half of the conversation, she'd probably hang up on him. His bed hadn't been made since the last time Carla had braved his den of iniquity, so he just fell onto it with a sigh, hoping against hope that Kat would give him a little bit more to work with, after all they were dating now, maybe that would loosen her up just a bit.

"That's all you're getting." She said with finality.

"Christ you're killing me." He should have known she wouldn't agree. Kat was better able to resist him when he wasn't standing right next to her, more's the pity. He was going to have to work on his strategy via phone, twisting her around his finger was next to impossible. The woman had her own ideas about things, and if her ideas didn't coincide with his ideas then he was SOL.

Kat laughed, "Oh you poor baby." Delight at aggravating him lifted her voice in a near immitation of Bianca's, which had her frowning in consternation.

Patrick laughed, "Damned straight." He crossed his ankles and settled his one arm behind his head, trying to get more comfortable.

Kat shook off the frown and rolled over onto her side with a yawn, "Well to keep me out of prison for your murder, how bout you tell me about the tree house."

Patrick couldn't help being a little lost, what did his tree house have to do with her underwear. "What about it?"

"How'd it get there for starters?" Kat said clearly exasperated.

"Oh my dad built it when he was 13; me and my uncle fixed it up a few years ago when he was on vacation." Patrick shrugged as he said it, why his tree house was important he couldn't figure.

It was funny, but she could almost see him shrugging right along with his answer. "Why didn't your dad help?" She asked absentmindedly, trying to imagine Patrick's room in comparison to his tree house. It was probably a pigsty.

Patrick ran his hand down his face; he hated talking about his parents. "Sometimes I forget you don't know, sorry, my parents both died when I was seven." His voice had gotten quiet, and he couldn't help the sigh of dread, he did not want to turn this late night conversation into a cruise down memory lane.

Kat was stunned. How could she have not known? She wanted to grill him with questions, but she didn't really like talking about her mom. So she figured, as quiet as Patrick usually was, he'd probably hate it as well. There was a reason some people were the quiet types. Needing to say something even if it was the wrong thing, she said, "I'm sorry Patrick I didn't mean to."

Patrick decided cutting her off was best; he really just wanted to get back to her underwear. "It's fine really, I'm good." He said with determination. Talking about how his parents died never made him happy, his aunt told him repeatedly that he needed to talk things through, but he didn't want to. In fact, if he could avoid ever mentioning his parents death again, he would. Needing to move around before he gave into the urge to growl at Kat over the phone, he flipped onto his stomach and pulled a pillow under his chin.

In a bid to change the subject because she could almost feel the tension between them like a tangible object, she asked, "So, who am I meeting tomorrow night then?"

Relieved at the switch in topic Patrick said, "My aunt Carla, I've lived with her off and on since I was seven. She's great; by the way do you like Italian?" Imagining the Lasagna they were going to have tomorrow night, took his mind completely away from his parents. Carla knew how to cook, it was one of the many things he'd missed while he was living with his uncle the past couple of years. Her lasagna was worth any harassment she might want to throw his way, it had like 10 layers and tons of sauce, and she put a thick layer of cheese on the top. His mouth was watering just thinking about it.

"Yep love it." Kat said with a smile. "It's the one food I can eat and never get tired of."

"Cool cause that's probably what we'll be having. So about your t-shirt, what could I say to get you to take it off?" Patrick said hopefully, his mind shifting gears back to her underwear, a grin settling into place as he imagine her rolling her eyes.

She could literally see the sexy grin he wore in her mind, so with an evil smile she replied, "I'll take off all my clothes and describe it to you in lurid detail, you just have to answer one question."

Patrick bolted up, no way was she going to. He knew her so with a hefty dose of skepticism he said, "What question?"

Kat laughed, "Who wrote The Feminin Mystique. You've got ten seconds starting now."

"Damnit, you know I don't have a clue." Patrick punched the bed beside him with a frustrated laugh. What was it about this smart, independent, beautiful woman that attracted him again? He grinned, oh yeah, he couldn't push her around, that was it.

"No dice then, you'll just have to learn how to read you heathen. Speaking of reading I need to get some done tomorrow for the test on Monday, so I should probably get some sleep." Kat said reluctantly.

Patrick figured she was probably a little sick of him, hell he'd spoken more to her in the past few hours than he had anyone else since school started. "Yeah I guess; I'll be at your house to pick you up around six, call me if your dad gives you any problems."

"Why, what do you think you could say to change his mind?" she asked curiously.

"I'll sic my aunt on him, she can convince him." He said.

"Alright then, I'm going to sleep." Kat pulled her comforter up around her chin and sighed sleepily.

"Before I hang up, one last question?" Patrick asked.

"Okay, one and only one." She said resolutely.

"At least tell me what color your underwear is."

"That was a demand not a question." And she promptly hung up.

"So did she tell you?" His aunt said from his bedroom door. Patrick jerked his head in her direction with shock, he hadn't heard the door open at all, how long had she been there?

"What?" He asked confused, and maybe even a little embarrassed, it was his aunt after all not his uncle.

"Did she tell you, I'm just curious, you don't really have to answer if you don't want?" She said as she sipped from her teacup.

Patrick grinned, "Nah, Kat's not like that. She's not a tease at all, which I guess is why I like teasing her, in fact she'll probably slap me tomorrow for making her uncomfortable. By the way do you think you could work your magic on her dad if he tells her she can't come over for dinner?"

"Sure kiddo, I'd be happy to. You seem to really like this girl I can't wait to meet her. Now, you need your sleep if you're going to get that engine rebuilt for Corey."

"Yeah I guess, thanks Aunt Carla for, you know, everything." Patrick said on a whim.

"You're welcome sweetheart, now go to sleep, I'll have breakfast ready at 6." She turned to walk out the door and he rolled over to go to sleep, tomorrow was looking pretty bright as of right now.


	5. Chapter 5

So sorry it took so long for this chapter, english is killing me this semester :D. Anyway this chapter has some pretty strong language so beware. OH and since my other favorite show premiered I had to give it a little love. Hmmmm Patrick and Kat hunting demons it could work :D j/k. Anyway, hope you guys like and I will try to update more frequently. My sister also said I should mention that the weekend that the two have together is just so they can get to know each other. When Monday rolls around and school starts back up, the goal of the story is to see if they can stay together.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Dad I've already told you we saw each other last night, it wasn't a date I promise. We got to talking, and it turns out he's not as much of a jerk as I thought he was." She stuck as close to the truth as she could because god forbid he find out what really happened, she needed to keep her father's temper in check. The process of asking her father if she could date the boy with the man voice was an arduous one; she'd been at it for over an hour.

"I don't like this Kat, I don't like it not one bit." He was shaking his head in stubborn denial, his hands taking up residence on his hips, and a scowl firmly planted on his mouth.

"Honestly dad I'm just going to meet his family, I seriously doubt they're nudists who will require I give birth to his child before I'm allowed to eat." Kat said with a roll of her eyes.

"Daddy you have to let her date Patrick, they're like perfect for each other. In fact, you could be denying Kat her soul mate. Mom would never forgive you." Bianca whined prettily from her seat on the couch. Her agenda was clear, Kat would date Patrick period.

"Bianca you can't possibly know if they're soul mates, Kat he has to watch the video's again, and I'm going to have a few words with him before he walks out that front door with you. I never thought I'd have to worry about you, I always thought it was going to be Bianca giving me nightmares." Her father said with a fierce expression of protectiveness in his older daughter's direction.

"Dad, he said he'd be here at 6 you'll make us late for dinner if you interrogate him, I don't want to make a bad first impression on his family." Her tone was as respectful and logical as she could manage, her father tended to listen to well formed reason.

"This boy is important to you?" Her dad asked with a worried furrow marring his brow.

"Well yeah, I mean I don't know how important yet so just chill. Maybe I'll meet his family and they really will be nudists who require my first born child, in which case I promise to break up with him right away dad." Kat said with an evil grin in her father's direction.

"Katherine you're pushing your luck. Now have a seat in front of this computer and let me remind you exactly why you are not to have premarital sex." As images of horrifically painful births started flashing before her eyes, Kat groaned in resignation. It was only 4 so she had two whole wonderful hours left for her father to torture her; Patrick had better be worth it she thought with a disgusted sigh.

Patrick was prompt, which made Kat sigh in relief; her father was looking for any excuse to bust Patrick's teenage balls. She opened the door with a smirk and thanked Bianca mentally for dressing her. Patrick was wearing slacks and a casual buttoned down black shirt, the sleeves rolled up on his forearms. She'd almost thrown on jeans and a plain t-shirt, but Bianca had gone on and on about how first impressions lasted a lifetime. Therefore, her outfit was a little dressier than usual. Black pants, loose red v-neck sleeveless top that fell to mid thigh and that she had to wear a black tank top under, to retain her modesty. Her favorite black boots completed her ensemble and, overall she thought she looked sexy, but not slutty and maybe even a little older than her actual age. Patrick's eyes widened appreciatively at the sight of Kat standing in the door, then he grinned and she blushed which made her want to smack him. "Come in I guess." She waved behind her and Patrick stepped inside.

Bianca squealed at the sight of Patrick, "Oh my god you guys are perfect, you match and everything."

"Oh for crying out loud Bianca, we're both wearing black." Kat said exasperated.

"So young man you think you're going to date my daughter?" Kat's dad said from behind them.

Patrick turned slowly and held out his hand, "That was my hope sir; it's nice to see you again." Very polite and courteous, Kat was a little surprised.

"No sex, no touching, no kissing, no babies, no drugs, no alcohol, no groping, no…"

Kat cut him off mid sentence, "Dad we will have parental supervision we promise not to have fun of any kind whatsoever. Just to be sure you're more than welcome to call me during the nice family dinner and I will answer the phone just to let you know how good of a time I'm not having." She said in a rush while trying to shove Patrick towards the door.

"Behave yourselves, I mean it, be home by nine and Kat don't think you've gotten him out of the video watching." Was the last thing Kat heard as she finally got her date out the door? Standing on the front porch looking for his bike, she was surprised to see a black 1967 Chevy Impala in her driveway. "Dear god is that yours."

"Yep, second car I restored completely on my own." Patrick said proudly as he stepped off the porch.

"Wow, I'd say I was impressed but your ego wouldn't fit in the car afterwards." She said teasingly. He shot her a grin and then almost walked around to her side of the car, but came up short. "Um Kat, do I open the door or not. I'm not 100% up to speed on the whole feminist rule book thing."

Kat burst out laughing and had to hold her sides, as she wound down she said, "I've got my own door Verona, but if you ever feel the need to do it for me I'm not gonna assault you." She opened the car door and quickly got comfortable. It was an excellent piece of machinery and she really was a little in awe of the fact that he owned it. Patrick got in and started the car, and eye of the tiger came blasting out of the speakers. Kat just barely controlled her urge to giggle as Patrick turned the radio down. He shrugged nonchalantly, "When I drive the car I have to have the music, its classic."

"It's fine with me." She said, and turned the radio back up. They drove in silence for a while, just enjoying being back in each other's company.

Kat was floored; he lived less than 5 miles away from her house, well within walking distance if you cut corners. The house was anything but generic; the front yard was a garden of flowers, shrubs, and small statues of animals. It was a sturdy looking brick house, with red shutters and a white door. The garage that Patrick pulled up to was more of a shop than an actual garage; it was set a little away from the house and had two doors. He pushed the remote on his dash and pulled into the right side. Inside, his bike was against the far wall and in between the impala and the bike was a compact car. One of those little bitty tiny economy cars, it made Kat put a hand over her mouth to cover her snicker.

"Go ahead laugh if you want, my aunt is an artist. She rarely has to leave the house, so last year she decided she didn't need anything but a matchbox on wheels to get her from place to place. I can't be seen in public with her anymore, it just too horrific." Patrick said with a shudder.

"Yeah I can see how being seen in that car could damage your standing as a mass murder, they just do not roll in matchboxes." She got out of the car laughing, and walked with Patrick to the front door of his house. "Alright Verona, let's get this over with." Kat reached for the door, but Patrick's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Before we go in." Patrick put a hand on her neck and brought his lips to hers. It was a soft good morning honey kiss, he stepped away with a very satisfied smirk.

"What was that for?" Kat said a little dazed.

"Why do you always ask that, do I really have to have a reason?" He brushed her hair behind her ears, and kissed her cheek softly.

"No I guess not, we going inside now?" Kat pulled away reluctantly, and tried to shake off the lingering euphoria kissing him had produced. God his mouth was dangerous.

"Yeah yeah, let's go. " He opened the door, and pushed her in ahead of him.

She stopped dead. The entrance led straight into a living room that was so unbelievable it took her a minute to get her head around it. He'd said his aunt was an artist, but she hadn't really considered what that would mean as far as décor. There were sculptures sitting up all over the furniture, ranging from animals to nude figures. Some were carved from wood, some metal, and some clay. Paintings covered the wall from one end of the room to the other, there were even a few of Patrick, she was truly amazed. "Wow Patrick did your aunt do all of this?" Patrick nodded as he threw his keys on the front table. Kat went further into the house to examine his aunt's work. "She's absolutely amazing; these should be in a museum."

"She thanks you very much." Patrick's aunt said from behind her, and Kat swung around in surprise. "So this is Kat." Her smile was warm and friendly, and Kat couldn't help but respond in kind. Carla was short, barely over five feet if Kat had to guess. Black hair hung down to her waist in beautiful curls, her eyes were a lovely shade of dark brown, and she bore a striking resemblance to her nephew.

"Yep, this is Kat, Kat this is Carla. Is dinner ready, I'm starving?" Patrick said while walking towards the kitchen, and just like that, it seemed she was a part of their circle. Carla slapped Patrick's fingers away from the food when she reached the kitchen, and made him set the table. The trouble, Kat thought watching Patrick and his aunt during dinner, was that life didn't have background music. Patrick and his aunt interacted with an undisguised comfort and familiarity that deserved its own song. They teased and admonished equally, observing them she had to admit that her family wasn't nearly so easy with one another. The lasagna was beyond divine, and she was thrilled to see Patrick so relaxed. Carla's nature made it very easy for Kat's nerves to just dissipate.

The women had finished eating and were waiting on Patrick before heading to the living room to watch a movie when a loud knock rang from the front door, and Patrick dropped his fork. His head jerked towards the front of the house, "He wouldn't dare." Was said in a low menacing voice.

"Calm down Patrick, we don't even know if it's him or not. Let me go look." Carla said rising from the table. Patrick jumped up ahead of her. "Patrick stay here, I'll take care of it." Carla shoved him back and to Kat's shock, he let her. Patrick sat back down, but didn't pick his fork up, whatever was going on had him strung too tight to eat. Kat was almost afraid to ask, then she heard Carla say, "Brian you can't be here." At those words, Patrick stood up and Kat couldn't believe the change that had come over him. The look in his eyes, Kat could finally understand where the rumors that he was a murderer originated; there was something flat and dead in the depths. He walked quickly to the front of the house, and Kat scrambled up to follow him. What the hell was going on?

"That good for nothing worthless bastard is going to give me what I deserve, and you are not going to stop me. Get out of the way." She heard an angry male voice utter.

"I'm calling the police Brian, get off my property." Carla said with a firm no nonsense voice.

She came around the corner with Patrick and almost took a step back. The man was huge, well over six feet tall and built like a linebacker, she watched Patrick walk up behind his aunt. "Brian, get the fuck out of here."

"You're going to give me what you owe me boy, I mean it." He said menacingly.

"You've been paid Brian, everything that the contract had stipulated has been taken care of, anything else is just your imagination." Carla said quietly as she turned away from the men to call the police. Obviously, Brian wasn't going to listen to anyone. As Carla walked away, Brian caught sight of Kat and a vile sneer lit up his features.

"That your new slut, maybe I'll take her for a spin."

Patrick was losing his temper; Kat could visibly see the tension tighten his muscles, so she grabbed the back of his shirt to pull him further away from the nasty man on his doorstep. She wasn't one hundred percent positive, but hitting the bastard would probably not be the best move on Patrick's part. "Kat let me go, I don't want you to get hurt." Patrick said in the hardest voice she'd ever heard come out of his mouth. Honestly, hearing what Brian had to say infuriated Kat, but she didn't have her pepper spray or her stun gun. Taking on a man almost two feet taller than she was, with no weapons, was not a wise decision, and if she couldn't defend herself Patrick wasn't going to get to either. Patrick tried to remove her fist from his shirt so he could get closer to the mongrel at the door, but Carla chose that moment to come up behind her and say, "The police are on their way, Brian get the hell out of here."

Brian glared at all three of them fiercely and said, "I'll be back, you owe me." He stomped off, and Kat let Patrick loose with a deep sigh of relief. Patrick turned from both women and stomped away without a word. Kat glared at his retreating back, wishing she had something heavy to throw at him.

"What is his problem, why does he choose the most inopportune times to go all brooding and silent." She growled her frustration, forgetting for a minute that Carla was standing next to her.

"He's a boy darling, that's what they do when their problems start making themselves known. Right now he'll be heading to the garage to mess around with his car parts, Brian always sets his temper to boiling. The police should be here any minute, will you do me a favor and keep Patrick occupied while I deal with them." Kat nodded her consent and took off in the direction of the garage. Finding out exactly what was going on with her new boyfriend, was the only thing that was on her mind.

He had some sort of punk rock sounding music blasting from his radio, and he was currently sitting on the floor sorting car parts that she didn't recognize. Kat was a little unsure of what she was going to say, so she sat down next to him and hoped he'd take the lead.

"He's my aunt's ex husband." Patrick said without preamble.

"Jesus, that sweet woman was married to HIM." Kat could barely wrap her mind around it. From everything she'd seen of Patrick's aunt, admittedly it wasn't a lot, but from what she'd seen Carla was just too nice to have been married to that bastard.

"One of the great mysteries of the decade, definitely, anyway, he's a lawyer and he dealt with the case surrounding my parents death. There was a pretty big settlement and Brian felt he was entitled to more of it than he got because he was related to me. The judge and accountants didn't agree. He's been after me to sign over a share of the trust fund since I turned 13." Patrick sighed and rolled his shoulders in annoyance. "He comes around here and freaks my aunt out, harasses me, but we can't really do anything about it because he hasn't done anything illegal. His visits are random and he's usually more than a little drunk." Kat didn't say anything figuring Patrick needed to get it out. He began building whatever it was he was building, not really noticing that his ipod had switched over to the more mellow sounds of Thriving Ivory. "He just pisses me off. I'm sorry about what he said." Patrick said with a sigh.

Kat heard the cops leave so she said, "Don't worry about it, I didn't see you forcing him to say any of it. He's a world class jackass from what I can tell, just forget about him. You done with whatever it is your doing?" Kat indicated the parts in his hands. Patrick looked down absently, almost surprised that he'd been doing anything at all.

"Yeah, I guess I am." He shrugged and put everything to the side. Standing up he reached for her hand to help her to her feet, and she smiled.

"Since nine is my curfew I say we've got enough time for a movie before you have to take me home." She headed towards the side entrance to the house and Patrick followed her.

"Sounds good to me, but nothing on my aunt's shelf, I refuse to watch 27 dresses or anything with Madonna's music on the soundtrack." She watched Patrick's over exaggerated shudder, and figured if he was joking around he must be as back to normal as he was going to get. They walked hand in hand into the living room and watched X-Men Origins.

* * *

For those of you who are curious about the reference to my other fav show, its Supernatural!!!!! Had to throw in the Impala :D.


End file.
